Candidate Cleared on 'City Clerk' Mailer in Lawndale Election

The Los Angeles district attorney's office has determined that Lawndale city clerk candidate Neil Roth did not intend to mislead voters that he was the incumbent when he sent out a mailer showing his picture above the words "Lawndale City Clerk."

"We don't feel that he had the intent to mislead voters," said Deputy Dist. Atty. Candace Beason, who reviewed a complaint brought by Roth opponent Gary McDonald.

But, she added in a letter to Roth, "as part of the district attorney's review, the mailer was shown to approximately 10 people in the office who knew nothing of the upcoming Lawndale election. All the individuals shown the mailer believed Mr. Roth to be the incumbent."

Roth said he had mailed the letter Jan. 25 to 43 people who knew he has never been the city clerk. The city clerk is Marsha Schutte, who was appointed and is not running for office.

Roth was critical of McDonald for bringing the complaint.

"I have to assume that the candidate has nothing better to do than try to make issues that are not relevant to the job that he is running for. . . . I think I was misused for his personal gain. That is unfair to the voters of Lawndale," Roth said.

McDonald replied, "Basically, the flyer had clear indications that he was in fact implying that he was the incumbent. . . . I believe that Mr. Roth has learned his lesson.